Advancing MRI Safety: highlights from the MRI Safety Update & Innovations Day 2025
The MRI Safety Update and Innovations Day hosted by MRI Safety Matters returned to the Royal College of Physicians of London venue last month, bringing together radiographers, technologists, radiologists, physicists, educators, engineers, researchers and industry to focus on innovation and safety. This hybrid event attracted over 350 participants from the UK and abroad, with each receiving access to the recordings.
Professor Martin Graves opened with MRI: Past, Present and Future, tracing the modality’s evolution and potential direction. He highlighted how AI and automation will transform scanning practices and urged radiographers to engage in shaping their future roles. Martin also emphasised that MRI safety must evolve with technology and that safety is a shared responsibility.
Dr Matthew Clemence, senior scientist at Philips UKI, followed with a fascinating talk addressing the perceived helium shortage, where he discussed the progress of low-helium/sealed systems for sustainability and how they reduce the risks associated with a quench.
Philip Gregory, practice educator at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Diagnostic Academies Manager, next gave a highly anticipated session describing the challenges and successes of establishing the first NHS remote MRI scanning site. It was a reminder that although opinions may remain divided, remote scanning is here and gaining traction globally.
Declan McGregor, a convenor of AXREM and the national service delivery manager at FUJIFILM Healthcare UK, then outlined AXREM’s role in promoting a unified industry voice to support standardisation and best practices. He invited feedback to further refine AXREM’s equipment handover form for use in MRI departments.
David Grainger, senior medical device specialist at the MHRA, delivered an insightful review of the latest MRI incident data and discussed progress on the MRI Safety Guidance update. In his virtual presentation, David also addressed questions about the guidance and concluded with a dedicated Q&A session clarifying key points.
Dr Paul Upton, former consultant anaesthetist and co-founder of Ultramed Limited showcased the award-winning MyPreOp platform. Paul demonstrated the benefits of digitalising patient safety assessments and integrating the MyMRI app into departmental workflows to streamline patient safety form management.
Dr Geoff Charles-Edwards, head of MR physics at The Royal Marsden, shared how well received the National eLearning MRI Safety Programme has been, noting that it is now available worldwide. Also from the Marsden, radiographer Hannah Barnsley returned to present an update on the eLearning modules for identifying implants on x-rays, engaging the audience with an interactive quiz that tested their implant knowledge.
Great Ormond Street Hospital’s lead radiographer, Clare Simcock, underscored the importance of taking a person-centred approach to every patient and discussed ways of reducing sedation and managing anxiety in children, highlighting how MRI safety is inseparable from patient experience.
Specialist clinical officer at UKHAS, Yvonne Kinsella, introduced The National Incident Learning System for Clinical Imaging, MRI and Nuclear Medicine, designed to promote consistent reporting and shared learning. Yvonne explained how the taxonomy aims to identify national trends that may be difficult to spot locally, allowing comparison of data across sites and benchmark performance against national standards.
Kevin Strachan, CMR product specialist for Philips UKI, explored The Evolving Landscape of Cardiac MRI, and its relevance for the increasing number of patients with cardiac devices. Kevin discussed common scanning errors and offered practical tips for optimising image quality. Patients undergoing CMR have benefitted from AI-assisted planning to enhance workflows, but Kevin reinforced the message that a thorough understanding of clinical history and device compatibility remains crucial for patient safety.
The final speaker, leading MRI safety advocate Tobias Gilk, returning for his third year, presented virtually from the USA. Toby discussed scan room emergencies and the importance of being able to summon help if working alone, highlighting the value of voice-activated alert systems. Referencing the system developed by Sound Imaging, Toby was later joined by Isaac Kim, business development and marketing lead at Sound Imaging, for a live Q&A session.
In-person attendees also had access to a vendors’ exhibition for industry news and could visit the publisher’s stand to purchase a copy of The MRI Practitioner’s Handbook, written by Barbara Nugent. Designed as a practical workplace resource it contains universal MRI safety information with checklists, learning prompts and customised templates for making notes.
Organiser Barbara Nugent reflected on the day: “Martin’s message captured the heart of the event – MRI safety is something we create together, not just a checklist to follow. That spirit was evident in the room, with so many attending from across the UK and a large virtual contingent from around the world. It shows how deeply this community values learning and improving patient care.”
The event was supported by silver sponsor Bayer, bronze sponsors Esaote, FUJIFILM Healthcare UK, Kopp Development Inc, Pearl Technology, and Probo Medical UK, and supporting sponsors BAMRR, Rothband, Sound Imaging, and Ultramed.
On-demand access to the presentations is now available at mrisafetymatters.com.
Picture: Dr Geoff Charles-Edwards, head of MR physics at The Royal Marsden at the podium providing an update on the national e-learning MRI safety programme.
This news story has been sponsored by the companies concerned and does not represent the views or opinions of RAD Magazine.
